Ruby's posts with tag: philippines
|  | Ah, finally, Sagada!!!
Went there over the New Year with my cousin Ivo and his girl Dina. Our trio multiplied as Ivo's friend Gawani joined us and played host to us, and Swedish solo traveler Ellen somehow got stuck with us =). We met Aussie girls Sarah and Ami at the caves. And then there's Ivo's energetic mates from UP Mountaineers. All made this trip so much fun.
We did the so-called Cave Connection --- that's 4.5 hours of caving adventure that started by going down a hole at the Lumiang Burial Cave and emerging at the cavernous Sumaging Cave. It was the wildest thing I've done last year after swimming with the whale sharks.
We joined Gawani's family in welcoming the new year in their windswept hometown of Besao. There, we witnessed how the Igorot people celebrate the new year with a Gong!!!
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| | Singapore Supports Sorsogon is the project that brought us -- 23 volunteers from Singapore and Manila -- to the sleepy town of Prieto Diaz in Sorsogon province. We helped to build houses for Gawad Kalinga. The beneficiaries are the families whose houses are constantly battered by typhoons. They are a hardy bunch of people. Lots of lessons learned from this trip including why construction workers eat like construction workers.
We helped to build for only a few days. The beneficiaries have been toiling for 2 months. Volunteer groups came before us but there are 50+ houses yet to be built. I hope more volunteers help out before the next typhoon season comes.
Photos taken with a Canon Powershot G7.
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| | The Spotter stands high up a ledge on the boat and scans the bay for a sign of the butanding (whale shark). When he spots one, he signals to our Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO), the boat slows down to a stop and...
"READY!"
Upon hearing this command from our BIO, we'd scurry and put on our fins and masks. Then we'd jump off the boat and swim after the butanding. The first sight of the giant fish gliding just a few feet below us drew underwater squeals of awe and delight. The plankton-rich waters of Donsol made it hard to see the whole body of the butanding hence the need to swim after it or dive down for a closer look.
Each interaction lasted from a few seconds to a few glorious minutes. They were so adrenalin-charged that we're exhausted by the 6th butanding. Plus, putting the mask and fins on and off each time was a real bummer. As our travel buddy Luis had nicely put it: "Punyeta, pagod na kami"... So, we just viewed the next 2 butandings from the comfort of our boat.
Where? Donsol, Sorsogon, Philippines.
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| | Pat and I hit Davao with no set itinerary. We made new friends and had loads of fun with them. We stayed in a hotel filled to the brim with artwork by prolific Mindanao artist Kublai Millan. We walked along its dimly lit corridors half expecting the art installations to come alive and grab us.
The trip had its many unforgettable firsts for me:
1. First time that I forgot to take Polgas along with me
2. First trip with my new camera
3. First time that I forgot to pack my cam's battery charger and spare battery (!!!)
4. First time (and hopefully not the last) to meet with my Multiply friend Maej
5. First time to have acupuncture (better than massage)
Many many thanks to Mandy and Maej who made sure that we dined in the best holes-in-the-wall in Davao, that we didnt have to take the jeepney to the airport, for showing us around the city and last but not the least, for introducing us to the high of acupunture aah, aah, ooh, ooh, yeesss, zzzzz!... Catch Maej at http://maej.multiply.com or http://mindanao.com/photoblog/?author=2
Also thanks to Pat for providing some of the photos in this album that my battery-challenged camera failed to capture. You cannot imagine the self-control I had to exercise so that my single charge can last 3 days.
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| | My Chinese friend Luyi came to visit over Christmas and we did a whirlwind tour of Manila, Boracay and Palawan. All in one week. Gasp! She remarked on how beautiful the islands are, that shopping is so much better in Manila than Shanghai and that our firecrackers are pffft! hee hee... |
| | My first and only dive in Anilao :-( |
| | Now I know why the Kalibo Ati-Atihan is called the mother of all Philippine festivals. Its fun, its rowdy, its solemn religious processions alternating with street dancing and binge drinking. The pounding of the drums makes even the unwilling to stomp their feet. For me, the highlight was after the sunday Mass at the plaza when the priest shouted "Viva kay Senor Santo Nino", and the crowd roared "Viva!" and hoisted their Santo Ninos in celebration. Then all the drums beat furiously in unison, playing one tune, as the street dancing resumed. Its amazing. Love it, love it... Plus I got the bonus of homestaying in a funky old house and meeting many interesting people. |
| | Living the good life at Miniloc Resort, El Nido. (Canon Ixus 500) |
| | An island-province that has more volcanoes (7) than it has towns (5). As most visitors hit beachside accomodations, we went the other way and stayed inland in an amazing treehouse run by local Mindanao artists.
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| | Our eco-trip to Puerto Princesa had us island-hopping, feasting on (cheap) seafood, hiking for on the Monkey Trail and Jungle Trail to the Underground River, enduring the rough boat ride back to Sabang, and making new friends along the way.
(Nikon D50, VR 18-200mm) |
| | So this is what everyone's been raving about. The finest sand I've ever set my wander-ful feet on.
(Nikon D50, VR 18-200mm) |
| | Travelled to faraway Isabela to attend my nieces' Christmas party
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| | Bicol during typhoon season sounded like a bad idea. But we did it anyway. We had to see Mayon Volcano before the perfect cone disappears from its frequent outbursts. We also wanted to hit Caramoan, Camarines Sur --- touted to be the next big thing in Bicol. But Caramoan proved elusive as a typhoon signal was raised over Bicol making us chicken out of the boat ride to paradise. |
| | Said goodbye to my Bacolod travel buddies and crossed over to Iloilo. Met a local in the ferry and she became my gracious host while Im in town. |
| | A sidetrip to Silay and Victorias from Bacolod. Silay rivals Vigan with its many ancestral houses. Victorias has the unique mural of an 'angry' Christ. |
| | Rolling hills, stone houses, scary boatride... A 4-day visit to Batanes in the extreme north of the Philippines. A typhoon came and got us stranded for 2 more days. To make ourselves busy, we gatecrashed a children's halloween party, met some young Ivatan artists and unexpectedly became judges of the 1st Ivatan Umbrella Painting Competition. |
| | Masskara is Bacolod's annual street dancing fiesta. My cousins and I descended on Bacolod one early morning and found a deserted city. We later realized that the city wakes up late with a hangover from the previous night's partying. And so we that's what we did for the next 3 days. Street dancing, party, inasal, inasal and more inasal... |
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